Sep 26, 2008 5:05 pm US/Pacific
Downey Residents Warned About Bacteria In Water
DOWNEY, Calif.
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Downey officials warned residents Friday about coliform bacteria detected in city supplies and urged them to boil tap water for at least a minute before drinking it or cooking with it.
CBS
Downey officials warned residents Friday about coliform bacteria detected in city supplies and urged them to boil tap water for at least a minute before drinking it or cooking with it.
"We test our water on a weekly basis and, on Tuesday, there was a bacterial hit, a positive reading for the coliform bacteria," which indicated that other types of bacteria could also be present, said Louis A. Atwell, Downey's deputy director of Public Works.
The boil-water order will last at least three days while water supplies are hyperchlorinated and the lines where the bacteria was found are flushed, he said.
The source of the bacteria was unclear.
City officials, as well as state and county public health officials, issued a boil-water order about 6 p.m. Thursday, Atrwell said.
Recently made ice cubes should be thrown out, and bottled water may be the best choice for drinking and cooking until the problem is cleared up, Atwell said.
Automatic dishwashers should be used on the high-heat setting, he said.
The water is OK to bathe with.
"You just can't ingest the water unless it's boiled first," he said.
As an alternative to boiling, tap water can be disinfected with liquid household bleach, such as Clorox or Purex.
Downey Public Works officials suggested adding 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per gallon to clear water, or 1/2 teaspoon per gallon to cloudy water.
Then, mix well and let the water to stand for 30 minutes before using.
A harmless chlorine-like taste and odor will result.
Water purification tablets also can be used, Atwell said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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